Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 64

Devanagari script

ससर्जेति पुरा धाता रूपात्मकमिदं जगत् । तच्च नामप्रपञ्चेन बद्धं दाम्ना च गौर्यथा

Transliteration

sasarjeti purā dhātā rūpātmakamidaṃ jagat | tacca nāmaprapañcena baddhaṃ dāmnā ca gauryathā

Translation

قدیم زمانے میں دھاتا (خالق) نے اس جگت کو صورتوں کی دنیا بنا کر پیدا کیا؛ اور وہ (دنیا) ناموں کے پھیلاؤ سے یوں بندھی ہے جیسے گائے رسی سے بندھی ہو۔

Word by Word

• ससर्ज: created
• ससर्ज: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सृज् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• इति: thus
• इति: Sambandha (Quotation marker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: उद्धरण-निपात (quotative particle)

• पुरा: formerly
• पुरा: Kala-adhikarana (Time/काल-अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुरा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of time)

• धाता: the Creator (Dhātā/Brahmā)
• धाता: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धातृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• रूपात्मकम्: having form as its nature
• रूपात्मकम्: Karma (Object qualifier/कर्म-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: रूप + आत्मक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; विशेषण

• इदम्: this
• इदम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• जगत्: world
• जगत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जगत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• तत्: that
• तत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• नामप्रपञ्चेन: by the proliferation of names
• नामप्रपञ्चेन: Karana (Instrument/Means/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नाम + प्रपञ्च (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

• बद्धम्: bound
• बद्धम्: Kriya (Predicate participle/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: बन्ध् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• दाम्ना: by a rope
• दाम्ना: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दामन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• गौरि: Gaurī
• गौरि: Upamana (Standard of comparison/उपमान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गौरी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• यथा: as
• यथा: Sambandha (Comparative/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा (अव्यय)
• Form: उपमानवाचक-अव्यय (as)

Speaker

Unspecified (didactic narration)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A cosmic creator (Dhātā/Brahmā) emanates a world of diverse forms. Overlaid are floating name-tags (nāma) that wrap like a rope around a gentle cow, illustrating bondage by designation; in the background, a subtle Śiva-linga glow suggests the transcendent ground.

Characters & Entities

• Dhātā (Creator)
• Nāma-prapañca (name-proliferation)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Bondage is sustained by attachment to ‘name and form’; liberation-oriented insight begins by seeing how naming fixes and limits experience.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No site is mentioned; the verse is a metaphysical explanation used within the Purāṇic discourse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None explicitly; it prepares a philosophical ground for discernment (viveka) rather than a ritual act.